Expression
by 20FacesChizu
Summary: She had come out of nowhere, and before they knew it, had them wrapped tightly around her little finger. -Questioning Expression-
1. Sincere Expression

_**Disclaimer: **__I hold no right over the La Corda franchise, neither in whole or in part. It belongs to Ruby Party and various affiliates._

_**Note:**__ This series of oneshots are unrelated, simple love stories based on each of the boys' feelings towards Kahoko based on my observations of the anime. Please enjoy at your leisure, and don't flame when your least favorite pairing comes up. I will be going in order of introduction._

**Expression**

_Kyuubi Seitenshi_

**Sincere Expression**

Fingers nimbly toyed and tinkered across the keys of the piano, Chopin's _Valse du Petit Chien_ bounding playfully over the floor and walls of the small music shop, tinkling like bells and thrumming like old chimes. Tsuchiura Ryoutarou gazed across the room at the violinist perched at the old laminated counter, tuning her instrument awkwardly. Had it really been three years?

They were second years in college now, he and Hino Kahoko. Being in different departments, since piano doesn't usually play with an orchestra, they didn't get to see much of each other even though they were attending the same university. But on holidays, things changed, like now. Even if it was Christmas Eve, and their respective families were quite busy with parties and pleasantries, they would sneak away to play for a little while in the safe haven of Minami Instruments and Music. Her beloved Chopin would sing across the air, and the soft strikes of piano keys would lull them both to relaxation.

"Tsuchiura-kun, I'm ready!"

He smiled softly, her voice still as eager as the first time she'd listened to his piano, as the echo faded away from the grand piano's chords. She readied her violin and looked up at him, wheat-colored eyes sparkling with a rich, enthusiastic air.

And together, they played.

It wasn't shocking was it? The calming, solemn chords of _Tristesse_ overflowed from piano and violin, the echoing their first duet in rising harmony. _Tristesse_… the song of parting, a Funeral March. But where one door closes, another opens, so it always seems. And when the door on their high school lives had closed, their college life _together_ had opened up before them.

She was looking at him. He could feel her eyes watching him softly, surely with a gentle smile on her face. Could she see it?

His sincere expression.

* * *

**AN: Well, I finished them all, and now I'm FINALLY getting them up. Internet access has been limited for me. Anywho, This is the first La Corda fic I've written at all; lemme know what you think. Though most of them are innocently sweet, you just can't accomplish an innocently sweet Yunoki when you know what he's really like. But don't worry; this series will only make it up to the T-rating on _his _account, I promise. XD**

**QUESTION: Should I do one for Kanayan and Ousaki? (don't know anything about the other guy because he's only in the manga, sorry.)**

**_To all those who know/read me for my Naruto stories:_**

_I sincerely regret to inform you that, unfortunately, I start school back tomorrow. I will attempt to write Naruto, but my progress is still slow to none. My deepest apologies to all those who are still waiting for updates on **Clay Penance**, **Soul-Mirror** and **Misty Sunsets**, and also to those who are reading my Karin fic **Eien**._

**Well, love me, shoot me, and then review. Because as much as you hate me for starting something new, you love me for posting something to fangirl over. Ja ne!**


	2. Uncertain Expression

_**Disclaimer: **__I hold no right over the La Corda franchise, neither in whole or in part. It belongs to Ruby Party and various affiliates._

**Uncertain Expression**

Because of his expression, she was left at loose ends. Those bewildered, gentle eyes that looked at her almost timidly. He had shown it when they had played Schubert's _Ave Maria _together, and later when he had so suddenly come upon her in the practice room while running from Amou-san.

Tsukimori Len… A boy who is usually as cold as ice… would on occasion melt and become at loss before her very eyes.

Now in college, she stayed with him at one of his family's many houses, a simple convenience that he had offered her when he'd discovered her own apartment was unreasonably far. As always, his eyes were cold when he'd said it, but it had so stunned her that she did not noticed the light changing, and he'd had to grab her wrist and jerk her away from oncoming traffic. That hand was as cold as his eyes; and calluses from years of playing the violin had scoured her skin roughly. But he'd made good on his offer, and they now attended the same classes every day, and he would not trouble her, though she would often trouble him, dragging him grocery shopping and to this or that exhibit or concert or new music store. Under normal circumstances, his face and demeanor would remain as it had always been, cold and simple and uninterested.

And then there were times where comic relief would suddenly introduce itself into their lives, and he would falter.

Like the time when he accidentally walked in on her in the shower. Or when she had tried to cook something too fancy for his birthday and had destroyed the entire kitchen. Or when he fainted from malnutrition and she had to drag him back to his room herself.

And there were also times like now, when he came home, and the smells of cinnamon, vanilla, and roses wafted to him as he opened the door, carrying the sound of a gentle violin on their invisible, pungent hands. As Shimizu-kun had once told her that sounds were unique to their moment and circumstance, often she would change his mood drastically by creating a strange setting in their usually impeccable home. His sock feet padded across the wooden floors in the dark, following the singing low notes of Chopin's _Tristesse_; a song he had not heard from her violin for many a year. In the bathroom, perched on the end of the tub and wearing only a light, pale-yellow yukata, Hino Kahoko played her violin amongst an array of red and golden candles, the bathwater floating red and white roses gently on its undulating surface.

That dashing song… "Opening up" a new vision before his eyes, this song played along the tiles to his ears, faintly encouraging him, with a voice that held words unintelligible. The chords were slurred together by the bow as she drew it, ending the music that had settled into him so completely. And when she opened her eyes and glanced back at him over her shoulder, her feet dangling idly and silently in the steaming water, he knew by the look on her face that she could see through him.

See that uncertain expression.

* * *

**AN: YES, you can marvel that I actually posted the next part. I've been reminding myself to do it for weeks, but it was on my memory bug instead of my computer, so I never got it done. But here it is- Tsukimori/Kaho, for all the lovers of the ship. This was actually the first one I completed, instead of "Sincere Expression," but that's usually how it goes for me. Enjoy. Tear it apart and hand it to me. I love contructive criticism.**

**NO FLAMES PLEASE. And even if you do, bite me. I don't care.**

**Next Time: **_Melting Expression_


	3. Melting Expression

_**Disclaimer: **__I hold no right over the La Corda franchise, neither in whole or in part. It belongs to Ruby Party and various affiliates._

**Melting Expression**

He had an expression that she always wanted to see. Not that bright look that chased away unhappiness or the wild blush that made her want to laugh at his childishness.

That… _sensual _gaze… One that trapped her in the stream of time, sinking her into a river and smothering her, and yet making her head so light.

Hihara Kazuki was 23 and attending graduate school, with every intention of becoming a music teacher. Hino Kahoko was 22, and attending the same University as her senpai, practicing the violin every day, as though the sound were breath and life itself. Every afternoon, a small corner of the campus garden would echo with strains of music, the chords of the violin intertwining with the wind of the trumpet, creating a blossoming fairytale of sound.

And when the music stopped, the silence carrying only the burden of rustling trees, blowing winds and quiet crickets on its shoulders, she would see it. Those eyes like golden thread, melting and swirling, gazing at her in an overwhelming euphoria that made her legs tremble and her lungs collapse in on themselves. Surrounded by the incense of azaleas and lilies and cosmos, the world became stifled.

Today was no different. And now, that nirvana-reminiscent expression gazed at her, his lips parted in deep, slow breath, and she could feel the heavens crashing down on her, while the earth gave way beneath her feet.

"Kaho-chan?" But suddenly it was gone. The minute he called her name, the world's axis was righted and the night air was cold, and the dew gathering on her sandaled feet was even colder. His jasmine-colored eyes sparkled with their usual carefree life, looking at her in that innocent way that proved he was incapable of deception. He leaned down to look at her, wondering why the violin and bow remained perched as they did, at the ready. "It's time to go home. You have your final exams tomorrow, don't you?"

"Ah! That's right!"

The stupor was gone again. Broken again, like it always eventually was. He was childlike, and she was her typical, reasonable self who wondered why the heck she had lost her head yet _again_over that look she couldn't seem to fathom. She hurriedly settled her violin and bow back into their case, habitually running a finger over its single golden cord before firmly snapping the top down. She grabbed the handle and her bag, and whirled around to leave, only to run over a suddenly overwhelmed Kazuki.

They crashed in a heap, the trumpeter using one hand to brace her against him, and the other to cushion her violin case's impact. After a long moment of gathering their wits, she managed to look up at him, about to apologize…

But that look… _That look_ was back, flowing and undulating and overwhelming… even if it was fading quickly as he opened his mouth to speak.

She didn't want it to go away. She wanted _more_ of that look, those eyes that peeled off everything she wore and ripped her soul from its hiding place, scouring it with delectable heat that made her heart and mind go crazy. If she knew her body was moving, she wouldn't remember it later… All there was to be felt was the moment she pressed her lips tightly to his, begging that he look at her like that…. More… again…

With that melting expression.

* * *

**AN: Okay, if asked, I WILL tell you that Kazuki is my favorite. It's kinda obvious with the way I wrote this. Eheh. So not only from the anime, but also in this series of oneshots, Kazuki is my favorite. Oh well; I did decent enough on Len to be forgiven, right? XP**

**O. M. G. Isn't it noteworthy that I DIDN'T take multiple MONTHS to update this? XDD**

**Next Time: **_Vicious Expression_


	4. Vicious Expression

**Vicious Expression**

Between them, good and evil became relative. The coin's front and back... The difference between a book's cover and its story. On his front, there was kindness, on hers was strength. Flip the coin…

And hate and fear became a startlingly stark reality.

His bounds of the Yunoki family constricted around the wings of pure white in his heart, and though she had been picking the lock for years, her own fear and guilt that she would never explain had kept her hands trembling. If only his own hands could steady hers, he'd thought, and then perhaps his lock would open. But they were both liars.

And neither could find the reason why.

"Azuma?"

Her sleepy wheat-colored eyes gazed up at him from her bed, the covers tossed about wildly to reveal her pale, bare figure. Sweat glistened in the moonlight that flowed through the wide window of their suite. If he looked at her… what expression would he show? Instead, he opted to continue staring out at the lights of Paris, one hand perched on the window sill, the other tucked loosely in the pocket of his robe.

Such liars… the both of them.

It was now three years since she had graduated, and the two of them had disappeared together, running away from his background, and from a nameless guilt that shadowed her every step like a black hellhound of a dog. Hino Kahoko was now Yunoki Kahoko… And yet, those names were never spoken. "Hino" or "Yunoki"… either of them. They were obsolete. On her graduation night three years ago, they had disappeared into the lights of Tokyo, and left those names behind.

The sheets rustled behind him, and her feet were doubtless whisking across the carpet towards him. Arms wrapped gently around his waist, delicate hands painted with calluses locking in front of him. Her face nuzzled into his shoulder blade momentarily.

"Worried about something?" her question came, muffled by the terrycloth. Tempted though he be to sigh, he did not. He could feel the curvature of her lips lifting into a grim smile. "Mulling over the past?"

"… Yeah."

"It doesn't help anything if you keep thinking about it."

"It doesn't help anything to run away from it."

She went silent, an admission that she knew he was right, even if she wished he wasn't. Ever since he'd met her, her hands had been trembling with hesitancy. It had lightened considerably since the fourth selection of that fateful concour, but still they trembled… Strength fading, like a tiny bird hanging on to life when its wing is broken and bleeding. She pulled around to look at him, and he kissed her in his overbearing way, his soft lips pressing against hers and creating a frightening, intimidating heat. Her gaze pierced his as he pulled away, and he knew that she could see everything.

Everything… burning in that vicious expression.

* * *

**AN: In all honesty? I have a love-hate relationship with this pairing. Honestly, I do. Because it's that kind of relationship between them, too. XP Anywho, if you're a lover of Ruby Party anime such as this and Harukanaru Toki no Nakade, then I'll have you know I'm working on a series for that category also. For each of the Hachiyou (except Tenma; sorry girls, but he's stuck with Akane this time around~) I am doing a story with a Valentines theme, though I'm a little late for such a thing. XD Anywho, enjoyness!**

**Read and Review!**

**Next Time: _Questioning Expression_**


	5. Questioning Expression

_**Disclaimer: **__I hold no right over the La Corda franchise, neither in whole or in part. It belongs to Ruby Party and various affiliates._

_**Note:**__ This series of oneshots are unrelated, simple love stories based on each of the boys' feelings towards Kahoko based on my observations of the anime. Please enjoy at your leisure, and don't flame when your least favorite pairing comes up. I'm be going in order of introduction._

**Expression**

**20FacesChizu**

**Questioning Expression**

Wondering, watching, observing, from behind a book, over a stage or across a room. Always, always he studied her, near or far, in all their time together. How was it that a boy even younger than herself could unnerve her like he could? A quiet, piercing gaze rippled over her skin like water, his eyes colored like spring dew lingering on her like a fairy lingers upon the petals of a Morning Glory. If she asked him about it, what would he say?

"I want… to know more about senpai."

And she would blush. Deeply. It would spread across her cheeks to the very tips of her ears, and all the way up to her hairline, and he would smile that soft, angelic smile, as though he didn't know what he was doing to her, though she was almost certain that he _did _know. And he would continue to watch her.

Even a year after the concours, when he's gotten so tall that her head barely reaches his shoulder, he still acts like a child, if only for her. When they find themselves out to a concert together, he pays for it, and dinner afterwards, if not also spoiling her with a new CD or book. And when he would hold her hand to take her somewhere, it was her, not him, that would blush. He would smile at her innocently, his sleepy expression belying the fact that he was doing everything on purpose.

"Kaho-senpai, are you ready?" he asked, his easy-going, sleepy tone soft and reverberating. A tingle unconsciously went up her spine as she swept down the hall towards him, mentally preparing herself to be lost in another evening of butterflies and goosebumps and music. They were performing together today; a little concert in the elementary school section that was to take place this glorious Saturday afternoon. Of course, Fuyuumi and Hihara had promised to join them, though the latter had already graduated, but for now, it was only they two. Up and down the hills, across the sidewalks, up stairs and catwalks… the walk was long and arduous, especially with their heavy bags and instruments, but he dragged her faithfully by the hand all the way, managing to observe her mindlessly chattering self from over his shoulder. What were the last three conversation topics she'd tried on their lengthy walk? She couldn't remember herself.

In no time, they were sitting on the stage and tuning quietly as parents, teachers, and students filed into the auditorium. Hihara was chatting giddily with Kaho over nothing and everything in particular, and Fuyuumi was sitting nearby and listening quietly as she tuned her clarinet. The lights went down, and the curtains came up, and the melodies of Bach overflowed into a dark and quiet room. The twittering clarinet, the sounding horn, the singing of the violin, all supported by the welling sounds of the cello that carried them so strongly. A whitewater of music rained down to engulf player and listener alike. Should she look up? How dangerous could that be? Golden eyes slide open and panned to her right hesitantly, to see _him_.

And... that questioning expression...

* * *

**AN: Mmkay... here's the thing. Originally, I only wrote these five oneshots, to go with the boys in the concours. Should I continue with the other five boys? Yes, five. Ousaki, Kanazawa, Kaji Aoi, Etou Kiriya and Kira Akihiko. Those are the other five. So, should I continue, or just call this it?**

**On a side note, before I run away! I'm doing ANOTHER series of oneshots just like I did these; all unrelated, and with a theme. Keep an eye out for it; it's called **_Sweets_**! Enjoy!**

**Review~!**


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